


Business Associates

by venhediss



Category: Pyre (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, General merriment, Post-Game, this was entirely for fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 11:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12210447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venhediss/pseuds/venhediss
Summary: Mama Greentail discovers that her son’s ‘business associates’ are in fact the revolutionaries who brought an end to the Commonwealth and established the Sahrian Union. Clearly, there's nothing to be done but invite them all over for dinner.





	Business Associates

**Author's Note:**

> Repost from tumblr, filling a prompt sent to me on anon. This was super fun to write, and I love just the entire concept of Mama Greentail. I know the impression we get of her is that she's a little hapless, but I like to imagine she has a half-decent nose for business too, and I tried to put her somewhere between those two extremes. Rukey is also basically the only character described as having loving family members (outside of the Nightwings) floating around and I thought that would be pretty cool to consider.

A lot of things fell through the cracks in the days and weeks immediately following the fall of the Commonwealth. After his ascension, Rukey had barely allowed himself the time to touch base with his family before slipping away with Volfred’s agents – he didn’t want anyone he cared about coming to harm now that he was, once again, involved in risky business, and he felt that if he had allowed himself the luxury of spending too much time with them, well…he might have never been able to make himself leave again. **  
**

But now that the Revolution had concluded peacefully, he was back, if harried and somewhat overloaded with responsibilities. Mama Greentail was full of questions, only some of which got answered. She already knew of her son’s role in the Revolution (which she had, frustratingly enough, heard through the grapevine rather than directly from Rukey); over time, in bits and pieces, she also learned something of his exile, his ill-informed dealings with Barker, how he had managed to clear his debt through the Rites, and how he had, by the grace of the Reader’s leadership and the Nightwings’ support, finally been able to return home.

All of this she had heard. What she hadn’t heard was  _who_ , exactly, his friends on the Nightwings had been – his mysterious ‘business associates’, spoken of only in snatches between meetings and dealings that would help determine the Greentails’ economic position in the new Union.

She found out entirely by accident. It was about two moons after the Revolution, and she had started practicing her letters, as had many individuals once the ban was lifted. Rukey had had a bit of a head-start thanks to his association with not just one, but two Readers during his exile, and was by that point receiving short simple letters and summons. Out of curiosity and eagerness to practice (written material was still quite rare at that point), Mama Greentail began sounding out the words and names on those letters and was floored to find a short note signed by none other than C. Volfred Sandalwood. When Rukey got home that day, he could tell immediately from the twist in his mama’s tail that he was about to get an earful, and he was entirely correct.

“One of your ‘business associates’ was the leader of the Revolution and you somehow thought your dear old mama didn’t need to know that??”

Rukey lowered his ears and shrunk back into himself. “I was gonna tell you eventually, ma, I swear, it’s just, we’ve all been busy-”

“And how!” She was pacing back and forth now, nails clicking rhythmically against the floor, not so much angry as flabbergasted. “Well, we absolutely  _must_  have them over for dinner. Their schedules willing, of course.”

Rukey practically felt his jaw drop at the quick turnaround. “J-Just like that?” He looked, panicked, at the low ceilings of their den, their living quarters cluttered with rugs and mementos, comfortable for curs but not many others. “I don’t think we could even fit them all in here, not to mention-”

“Well we’ll just have to eat outside on the lawn then!”

“The lawn?! In  _Thirdmoon_?” If anything, he was only more aghast with every suggestion his mother was making.

“Oh, hush. We’ll be sure to make plenty of warm dishes, maybe dig a nice fire-pit.” Already thinking through the practicalities, she began scanning her new mental list of Rukey’s friends, lining them up with the highly esteemed public figures that she and everyone else had come to know as household names since the Revolution. “Not just men and women, but a Sap and a wyrm-knight to boot… We’ll have to get a little creative with the menu. And the house must be cleaned - don’t you  _dare_  think you can wriggle out of it, you slippery pup,” she snapped, just as Rukey opened his mouth to protest again. “You and your uncles are all helping out. Perhaps some tea too? Or maybe I’ll pull something a little stronger up from the cellar…”

She was starting to get a familiar gleam in her eye, one that Rukey was all too familiar with. It was a trademark of the Greentail name, a keen nose for business opportunity that had maintained their brand throughout the generations. He chuckled nervously. “Heheh, mama, that’s really not necessary-”

“Of course it is! If I remember correctly, you told me that you owe these friends of yours everything you’ve managed to get back. I owe them for helping you to return to us. And all of us owe them for the opportunities we’ll certainly have in the future. I think that calls for a dinner, if not much more!” She sat back on her haunches, snout in the air, clearly considering her point made and the conversation over.

“Yes, mama,” Rukey agreed meekly.

“Now go on, send your friends some proper dinner invitations. By the Alpha-Chief,  _I_ know I couldn’t bring myself to write Volfred Sandalwood personally, even if I  _could_ manage my letters!”

“Yes, mama.”

“Let’s say…” She did a series of rapid calculations in her head, weighing how long it would take them to clean, prepare, procure ingredients, cook, and balancing it against the busy schedules her guests were sure to have. “Three days from now. The evening of Finiem, the 14th, beginning an hour or so before sunset.”

“Yes, mama.”

“And get back in here to help me out as soon as you’re done. We’ll have to rearrange some things…where did those uncles of yours go, now…” She muttered to herself and began nudging objects back into their proper places, trying to open up as much space as possible before beginning the process of deep-cleaning the house. Rukey excused himself immediately, and took a good bit more time than necessary putting those invitations together.

***

It turned out that the Nightwings were damnably excited to meet the esteemed Mama Greentail and see Rukey’s ancestral abode. They were  _so_  excited, in fact, that almost all of them put aside what were certainly far more important matters to take an evening off to drink, chat the night away, and graze on the wide variety of hors d’oeuvres that the Greentail matriarch had thrown together. The RSVPs flowed in as quickly as the newly established and very eager Sahrian Union Postal Service could carry them – a simply scrawled “y e s” from Jodariel, a “See You Soon” from Hedwyn, a drawing of a face from Mae, a surprisingly eloquent and legible note from Gilman (how did he even hold a pen?), and a tract of flowing calligraphy from Volfred that not only accepted the invitation but also inquired after some business matter Rukey had mentioned before, and reported that despite the (mostly) repaired relations with the rest of the Nightwings, Oralech would not be attending (although he did send his regards).

The next two days went by in a blur. The combined forces of Mama Greentail and her well-respected son were enough to cow even Rukey’s notorious uncles into helping with the preparations. True to Rukey’s predictions, the Greentail family was rolling out their most lavish hospitality. Lanterns were hung in the lawn; a central fire-pit was prepared; blankets and low tables were laid out; produce and seafood were purchased; and warm, hearty dishes, both large and small, were cooked, filling the whole den with mouth-watering scents at every hour of the day and night. And, as she had said she might, Mama Greentail had descended into the deepest depths of their cellars, coming out with an  _extremely_  well-aged bottle of whiskey, a few drops of which might sate even the most voracious drinker. It was practically a family relic, but no amount of complaint, drooping ears, or puppy eyes could sway her resolve to show her important guests the absolute best of what she had to offer, on behalf of her family and in line with her pride in her ancestral name. She may have let her son largely steer the family’s interests of late, but she had been formidable in her own way, not so very long ago.

The appointed day arrived; the weather had been brisk but not unbearably so, and in fact was quite warm for Thirdmoon. Everything was as prepared as it was going to be. Mama Greentail struck her usual characteristic balance between respectability and homeliness, wearing a nice but well-worn coat and a few small pieces of jewelry, including a pin bearing the family crest. Even the uncles managed to look presentable, relegated as they were to waiter duty, laying out food in insulated dishes.

It was good that they had finished a little bit early; just as the final touches were put into place, Hedwyn could be seen cresting the hill that led down to the Greentail residence. He waved good-naturedly, before pulling his cloak a bit tighter around himself and hurrying the rest of the way down. Ever the picture of politeness, he turned to Mama Greentail first.

“Mama Greentail, I presume?”

“You presume correctly,” she responded, with a gracious nod. “And you are Hedwyn the Diplomatic, the Bridge-Builder-”

“Just Hedwyn, please.” He cut her off with a humble, somewhat bashful laugh. “We all heard so much about you.”

“All good, I hope,” she said, with a sharp look at Rukey. He held his ground, but he felt in his gut that it was going to be a long night for him.

“Haha, of course, of course! It’s great to finally meet you, and thank you for the invite. We could all use a break with everything that’s been going on.” Indeed, his smile seemed tired, but it was genuine. He turned next to Rukey. “Jodariel is on her way with Mae, but they may be a bit. And, you’d better have been helping with all of this, instead of just skipping work to do nothing.”

“All of you seem to think I’m some kind of slacker!” Rukey sniffed indignantly. “Tell me all about what I missed then, brother, while we wait for everyone else. That fair?”

Hedwyn chuckled. “I don’t know, I may have to hold it over your head a bit longer.” A sulky huff from Rukey, though, and he relented, going into what he remembered from the past couple of days’ proceedings.

Not more than ten minutes had passed when Sir Gilman slithered into view, bundled up in soft, heavy wrappings to help stay warm, yet still somehow moving quite fluidly across the ground. He rushed excitedly down the hill when he saw who awaited him. “Madam Greentail!” he announced buoyantly, sliding to a stop before standing at attention and saluting with his tail in the odd way customary to wyrm-knights. “It is truly an honor to meet you!”

“The honor is all mine, esteemed Sir Gilman.” She managed a curtsy in response to his salute, which he found utterly thrilling.

“This knight knows that you, dear lady, must be truly formidable, to have raised a son such as Rukey! This knight knows that such things are truly a testament to one’s parentage, and you should be exceedingly proud!” With that, Gilman was off, recounting exaggerated stories of Rukey’s triumphs, and how the two of them had worked diligently together to hone their skills against unimaginably horrible opponents, just like the Scribes of old. Bundled up as he was, it was more amusing than anything, like watching a massive caterpillar trying to perform a one-man play. But regardless, it was with some relief that they allowed themselves to be distracted by Volfred’s arrival, impossible as he was to overlook.

His appearance was too well known to truly conceal, and so he made no attempt to do so outside of a purely practical overcoat. Yet despite that, he had managed not to attract a crowd of followers, supplicants, or over-eager guards as he made his way out to the edge of town. Gilman stopped short in his performance to call some greeting, and Hedwyn waved. Meanwhile Mama Greentail suddenly sat up much straighter, her rapidly wagging tail betraying deep curiosity. Despite his high-profile existence, few had had a direct audience with Volfred Sandalwood, and fewer still knew him on a personal level, limited primarily to current and former members of the Nightwings and some of his more trusted agents, many of whom were themselves former students. She was excited and a little bit starstruck, but under it all she was still Mama Greentail, and she was determined to make her entire strange (and very famous) group of guests feel as welcome as possible.

Volfred nodded in return to the greetings, coming to a stop a few feet away from the motley group that had already assembled. “Hedwyn, Sir Gilman, it’s good to see you both. And, Rukey, thank you kindly for the invite.”

“Oh, that was mostly my mama’s idea,” Rukey answered with a chuckle, gently nudging his mother’s shoulder. “Seemed to think it was a crime she hadn’t met all of you yet.”

“It would indeed have been a shame if we’d never been introduced, after all that you spoke of her,” Volfred agreed, turning to Mama Greentail with a slight bow that did little to reduce his significant height. “Miss Greentail? Volfred Sandalwood. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Pleasure’s all mine, I assure you,” she answered warmly. “It’s been a long time since we had reason or time to celebrate around here. I’m glad you all came.”

“Honestly I’m surprised he could make it. They decide to let you off the hook for once, Woody?” Rukey sniggered.

“Not precisely, but it seemed they were hesitant to tell me no,” Volfred replied, a bit of mischief gleaming in his eyes. “There are still many issues to attend to, and it is important to take them seriously, but I trust the competence and drive of those who have come together to address those issues. It is important that they don’t come to be entirely dependent on my advice.”

“And it’s important for you to take a break, too,” Hedwyn added with his characteristic touch of friendly concern. “It really is good to see you well. It’s been weeks.”

“Yes… Yes, it has.” Volfred took a deep breath and let it out. “I haven’t been without friendship or support, of course, but it is easy to risk being consumed by those same fires that drive our young Union.” He looked toward the sun, beginning to dip low in the sky now, and then back up the road. “We should wait for the rest of our friends to arrive. Miss Greentail, do you mind…?” he asked politely, slipping his pipe from his coat. She shook her head fervently (“Not at all, please, go right ahead!”) and he lit it, taking a few placid puffs and settling into himself a bit, waiting for those who had yet to come.

Conversation flowed gently and quietly until, finally, Jodariel came into view, Mae’s hand clutched in her own and swinging playfully back and forth. The girl immediately let go and sprinted down to meet everyone, leaving Jodariel behind as she barreled into the group like a force of nature.

“Hello, hello! We tried to come as fast as we could, but, well, we were a little held up? Some old guy was talking about something really complicated with miss Jodariel, and, she didn’t want to be there either, I don’t think? We all wanted to be here, and not there, but, it was very important, I think, so…” She trailed off, having caught sight of Mama Greentail, and immediately became animated again. “Oh! Miss Mama Greentail? I’m Mae, they call me Mae! Rukey talked a lot about you, he did.”

“I keep hearing that,” Mama Greentail responded with a chuckle, clearly already taken with the odd girl before her. “Please, just call me Mama or Mama Greentail. It’s very nice to meet you, Mae.”

“Oh, okay, Mama Greentail then! It’s, um, it’s very nice to meet you, too! I’m grateful that the Scribes smiled upon us so we could all be together like this today.” Mae beamed and jumped into a few small, happy dance steps, before clapping her hands together in a jubilant prayer of thanks.

Jodariel had by now caught up, giving small, stoic nods of greeting to everyone present, and granting Mae a small smile. Her complexion had grown warmer since her return from the Downside, and, if you looked closely, you might think her horns had shrunk a bit. But despite that, she was still visibly powerful, imposing, and distinctly demonic. Even having known of the existence of demons, Mama Greentail couldn’t help but be a bit cowed, and so it was Jodariel who stepped in to break the ice.

“Miss Greentail, thank you for inviting us all here. It’s important that we celebrate family in times such as these, be it family by blood or by bond.” As if on cue, Mae sidled up to her, grasping her guardian’s hand once more.

“I…entirely agree, and thank you for saying so,” Mama Greentail responded, clearing her throat and flicking her tail back and forth once or twice to regain her composure. Then, cheerily, “Well then! Now that we’re all here, what say all of you to some food?”

Gilman was the first to respond, with his usual passion for matters both grand and mundane. “If he may be so blunt, this knight is practically famished, and will gladly take you up on your hospitality! Please, lead the way, madam!”

With a chorus of agreement and laughter, the party strolled on in the evening light.

***

The food was, unsurprisingly, delicious, and well-made for combating the early spring chill that rapidly descended once the sun was out of sight. The lanterns were lit, the fire-pit crackled warmly, and everyone seemed genuinely at ease for what was, for many of them, the first time in many, many moons.

Once darkness had completely fallen, Mama Greentail sat up on her haunches, pricked her ears, and cleared her throat. Attention immediately turned to her. “I’d like to thank everyone again for coming tonight. I know how busy you all are, and it makes my dear old heart happy that you would take the time to visit.” A chorus of thanks and agreement arose in response, but she quieted them with a wave of her paw. “We owe all of you so much for helping our dear Rukers return. I hope he’s thanked you properly, but regardless, know that I speak for him when I say, thank you, truly, for all you’ve done, and you’re always welcome here at the Greentails’.”

Rukey looked at the ground, embarrassed, as his friends began to bandy his childhood nickname about. “Yeah, yeah, what she said. But don’t go getting the big head or anything, chums. And, please…don’t call me that.” A few chuckles and playful nudges were directed his way before Mama Greentail continued her speech.

“Anyways, I’d like to propose a toast.” One of Rukey’s uncles appeared with the bottle of whiskey, while another began handing out small, mismatched glasses, which everyone accepted graciously. “To family. To the Sahrian Union. To…well, anything else you’d like, really,” she trailed off cheerily.

“To those who returned,” Volfred added. “And to those who did not. To Big Betrude, to Ti’zo, to Pamitha Theyn, and, of course, to the Reader as well. May they remain safe, and may no distance ever truly separate us from them.”

A conspicuous space had been left in the circle now gathered around the fire-pit, almost as if by instinct. Its presence seemed to intensify as everyone silently looked at it, or at the ground, or off into the distance, allowing themselves to feel the lack for a moment.

“Yeah, pour one out for the chums who couldn’t be here,” Rukey agreed belatedly, cutting off the silence before it could become too oppressive. “And a proper tall one too, not one of these tiny things!”

A (somewhat) larger cup was prepared and filled, left in the empty space while everyone else raised their glasses. A cry of “Cheers!” was raised, cups were tapped together, liquor was downed, and more than a couple individuals were left coughing a bit at its intensity. The remaining glass was at first regarded with some uncertainty, before Hedwyn decided it would be good to pass it around, everyone drinking some from it until it was empty. It was agreed that this was the best thing to do and, although it perhaps felt more like a communion than a toast, the glass was steadily emptied, and the festive mood returned in full force.

The whiskey chased away any lingering sense of cold, and the gathering quickly devolved into reminiscing about times in the Downside, particularly with those who had been left behind, and telling wild stories of things that had happened since returning. It was discovered that Volfred was hard-pressed to carry a tune, that Gilman had discovered an entire group of fans dedicated to emulating his chivalrous lifestyle, that Jodariel was challenged to a friendly battle at least once a day.

It wasn’t until the deep chill of the last few hours before dawn began to set in that it was generally agreed that everyone should start returning home. Mae had fallen asleep long ago, curled up in a blanket, her head on Jodariel’s thigh, and Gilman was struggling to stay awake through the haze of warmth, good food, and alcohol. All said their farewells in turn as the dishes were cleared away and the lanterns extinguished, eventually leaving Rukey and Mama Greentail alone, waving out into the darkness.

After a quiet moment, Mama Greentail spoke up. “You’re very fortunate, you know, to have friends like that. I’d always worried about you while you were gone – where you were traveling, whether you were lonely, or had run into trouble. Even with where you ended up, well… I see you were in far less danger than I ever thought.”

“…Yeah…” Rukey agreed, almost choked-up.

“Our family is so much bigger now…” She closed her eyes, smiling gently.

“Yeah…you’re right, mama.”

Another long moment of silence, and then, “Well! I suppose we can leave this until morning. Your tired old mama needs to get herself to bed.” She rose, shook herself, and began to trot back to the house. “Come on then, Rukers!” Rukey cringed a bit at the name, but followed, and was asleep as soon as he set foot in his bed.

***

_So it was that a tradition began, one anticipated by its participants perhaps more than any other holiday, and the Greentail family became an established fixture of the story of the founders of the Sahrian Union, who were known by many to bring their woes and their joys to the Greentail matriarch, the inimitable Mama Greentail._


End file.
